The 2014 Riverfront Nights schedule will feature some funk/metal, rock, a little country and an iconic '80s band.

Opening this year's series on Aug. 2 at the 21st Century Waterfront will be country/rock performer Jacob Powell. Closing the Saturday night showcase on Sept. 13 will be Atlanta's The Producers, of "She Sheila" and "What's He Got" fame.

The free concerts are presented by Friends of the Festival, which also produces Riverbend. They are held each Saturday night, except the weekend of the Southern Brewer's Festival on Aug. 22-23. The shows are sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

"I think everyone will love this lineup," says assistant talent coordinator Jeff Styles, who books Riverfront Nights. "The Main Squeeze will surprise people, and I'm very excited to see The Producers. It's all the original guys with Wayne Famous and Bryan Holmes and Van Temple."

Each show features a headliner and a local opening act. Opening for Powell will be the Communicators, a collection of local players who get together for special projects such as performing classic albums by artists such as Beck and the Red Hot Chili Peppers from start to finish. For this show, they will be doing a mixture of country and Southern rock.

Opening for The Producers will be local blues/rock favorite Husky Burnette.

Riverfront Nights also partners with various groups and agencies each week to showcase outdoor and healthy living opportunities. There will be a "Wild Trails Challenge" set up on the riverfront, and Wild Trails Director Randy Whorton and crew will host contests in which folks can paddle, swim or run each week to improve their own health, time and weight. They will compete against themselves and each other and a big scoreboard will be set up to record their statistics.

L2 Boards will also have stand-up paddle boards and kayak rentals available until sunset. The Dog Pound returns, giving pet owners VIP area exclusively for dogs and their human companions.

In addition, "The Causeway," a new "free speech zone," will be set up on the Chattanooga Green as a place where all local charity, political nonprofits and advocacy groups of all kinds can set up and promote their mission statements - as long as they don't use amplification, electricity or exhibit bothersome or confrontational behavior - according to Styles.